Vice President Kashim Shettima has announced that the Federal Government plans to integrate technology into Nigeria’s education infrastructure, in a bid to boost learning outcomes and tackle the country’s human capacity challenges. Shettima made this declaration on Wednesday during a meeting with the World Bank Nigeria team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Outlining the government’s vision, Shettima stressed that President Bola Tinubu is fully committed to driving transformative changes across Nigeria’s education sector. With the global technological landscape evolving rapidly, he emphasised that Nigeria must seize the opportunity to modernise its education system and prepare its citizens for the future.
“Where there is a will, there is always a way. Change is a very painful percolation process,” Shettima said, reflecting on the difficult but necessary reforms ahead. “But I know we will get out of this very soon and be on the path of sustained growth.”
He pointed to India’s use of KYAN smart class solutions as a model for technological innovation in education, particularly in rural areas. “In India, Kyan technology is used to teach 50,000 pupils in rural and impoverished areas,” Shettima noted, suggesting that such innovations could have a transformative impact on Nigeria’s own rural education infrastructure.
The Vice President advocated a holistic approach to reform, emphasising the need to upgrade infrastructure, improve teacher training, and incorporate cutting-edge technology to bridge gaps in the country’s education system. “We need a comprehensive plan to address the gaps in our education system as quickly as possible. We must not allow these challenges to persist,” he urged, calling for the cooperation of state governors and stakeholders to advance this transformation.
Earlier in the meeting, Dr Ndiame Diop, the World Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria, presented an ambitious agenda aimed at improving governance, health, and education across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. In a presentation titled “Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity in Nigeria’s Human Capital,” Diop outlined the World Bank’s HOPE initiative, which focuses on governance reform, primary healthcare, and basic education.
The HOPE projects, which adopt a result-based financing model at the sub-national level, aim to reinvigorate these critical sectors as part of a broader push for human capital development across the country.
Shettima closed the meeting with a call to action: “I believe technology will help us upgrade our education system significantly.” As Nigeria embarks on this technological overhaul, the government’s commitment to a more dynamic and inclusive education sector stands at the forefront of its agenda for national progress.
